Not Just for Summer: Tips for Planting a Fall Vegetable Garden

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Gardens don’t have to be saved just for the summer season – get ready for Fall with a Fall Vegetable Garden!

Most everything you plant in spring you can grow in your fall garden, too.  Wouldn’t it be fun to enjoy your garden and all of its produce well into the fall season? Below, you will find tips for planting a fall vegetable garden that will continue to give you a harvest well after summer. You will notice that these are cool season plants, meaning they will tolerate a light frost. They will also thrive in short daylight hours and perform best with mild temperatures. So if planting a fall vegetable garden is something you wanted to try, read on!

What to plant:
Vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers do not do well once cooler weather hits. However some do, like the broccoli and kale! They need to be started earlier and transplanted into the fall. You can also try carrots, cabbage, lettuce, and spinach.  Here’s a more in depth list of plants that thrive in the Fall:

Beans
Beans can be planted until late July for a fall harvest.

Beets
Beets can be planted until August for an early harvest.

Broccoli
Broccoli can be planted until July for a fall crop.

Brussels Sprouts
Plant by July for a fall crop.

Cabbage
Fall cabbage crops are perfect for early harvesting.

Chard
July is perfect to plant chard for an early crop.

Carrots
Plant carrots by July in order to harvest early.

Lettuce
Sow your head lettuce lettuce in July. Plant until mid-August.

Mustard Greens
Mustard can be planted through September to produce a harvest.

Onions
Onions for green or table onion use can be seeded until mid-July for fall use.

Parsley
Seed in early July for fall and spring use.

Peas
Peas can be planted in early November and picked in the fall.

When to plant:
First, find out which zone you garden in, and then choose plants that are suitable for planting in that zone. If they are not designated for your zone, don’t even try it!

Where to plant:
It can be really hard to find a spot to plant something new for the fall. Chances are your summer crops have taken up quite a bit of space all season. Your soil has probably taken a beating and fall so now is the time to enrich your soil with compost. Pick a spot that you have space, can enrich, and still gets plenty of afternoon sun. Then, plant as you would your summer crops using the same planting techniques.

If you’re thinking of planting a fall vegetable garden, it only takes a little time and effort to get your garden in shape. You’ll be so glad you did when you are still harvesting produce well into the fall months, and so will your neighbors who you will hopefully share the abundance with. A fall vegetable garden not only extends your food supply, but they are enjoyable to maintain and can be quite pleasing on the eye as well.